North Korea v Brazil

[S. aureus]

North Korea v Brazil

The Korean keeper seemed like a very weak link to me, though maybe he just had a bad game. He clearly screwed up for Maicon's goal, leaving far too much room, but he was shaky throughout most of the game.
Goalie apart, North Korea looked very tidy - solid, well-drilled defense and some danger moving forwards. I can see them frustrating Portugal and maybe Ivory Coast.
Brazil were poor in the first half, possibly through underestimating their opponents, but turned it up a notch in the second. Fabiano and Kaka were both very poor throughout, however. They reminded me, on the whole, of a less good Germany.

[Paul S]

North Korea v Brazil

The North Korea fans are Korean fans at all - they're Chinese who have volunteered to support their communist neighbours.

Evening Standard article here

North Korea's World Cup fans who are really 'volunteers' from China
Shekhar Bhatia and Jack Lefley, in Rustenburg
16.06.10

PERHAPS it was their identical red outfits or how their applause was directed by a "conductor" that suggested the North Koreans in the Ellis Park stadium in South Africa were no ordinary fans.

But today, the truth behind the "supporters" emerged when it was revealed that one group of North Koreans - none of whom knew each other in advance - had been hand-picked by Kim Jong-il's government, while another party were actually Chinese, "volunteered" to back their Communist cousins.

Fifa officials and millions of television viewers were surprised when rows of red-clad "North Koreans" took their seats, believing the harsh regime had allowed its citizens freedom to travel.

But one fan, Kim Yong Chon, 43, who said he was North Korean, told reporters his group of 300 had been carefully chosen by the North Korean government.

Although they sang their national anthem loudly, the group tended only to cheer when directed by a man who stood before them like an orchestra's conductor.

Meanwhile, another party of fans confirmed rumours they were Chinese, having obtained tickets through a Chinese sports PR agency, authorised to sell part of the North Korean allocation of 1,400 seats.

Dubbed the "fans volunteer army", they included dancers, musicians and other artists and said they were happy to don the North Korean national colours.

One Brazilian fan said: "I spoke with them. They had come from Beijing and knew nothing about football or the World Cup. They said they were supporting their Communist cousins and were happy to be there."

It is not only the supporters that are unconventional for the North Koreans' first World Cup for 44 years. While the Brazilian team has 500 following journalists, they have just five and have banned outside media from training sessions.

After the match, as Brazil's stars mingled with journalists, the North Korean players, including star striker Jong Tae Se, who cried during his country's national anthem, were ushered away.The team has refused to fully comply with Fifa rules over media availability and at one press conference, manager Kim Jong Hun rebuked a journalist for not using his country's full name - the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

Fans back in the DPRNK may not have yet even seen their team's doughty performance, allowing the Brazilians only a 2-1 victory in a match they were expected to win easily. Although the country has a deal to transmit World Cup matches, it will be shown only when their "Dear Leader" thinks fit.

[dalliance]

North Korea v Brazil

I think I would struggle to agree that Keller and Friedel were in the top three goalkeepers in the world in 2002 to be honest.

[TheFourMarys]

North Korea v Brazil

Paul S wrote:
[quote]Evening Standard article here

[quote]North Korea's World Cup fans who are really 'volunteers' from China
Shekhar Bhatia and Jack Lefley, in Rustenburg
16.06.10

manager Kim Jong Hun rebuked a journalist for not using his country's full name - the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

Fans back in the DPRNK [quote]

Oh for fuck's sake.

DPRNK?????

Are you high?

I can't got a job yet these ignorant tosspots, Shekhar and Jack, can waltz around the world cup filing the same pointless, sneering drivel as every other bored journo, about a group of players that they can't even respect enough to learn their country's title.

As no DPRK citizen would ever refer to their nation as North Korea (that was the coach's entitre point), They are either deaf, unable to transcribe/record or they clearly weren't present at said press conference. So why are they passing off this report as though they were?

Is this the standard (ho ho) of reportage nowadays? If so, I've ceratinly missed the boat on piss-easy jobs.

Also, what's the point of this nasty little propaganda smear piece, anyway? Who gives a fuck where the fans come from? What does it matter if they are Chinese citizens or not? North-East China has a large ethnic Korean population and the supporters being disrespected by the Standard certainly didn't look Han Chinese.

[dalliance]

North Korea v Brazil

It must stick in the craw for any foreigner to openly acknowledge the Democratic part of the title North Korea like to call themselves.

Few foreigners called the German Democratic Republic anything but East Germany and most people still use Burma instead of Myanmar, so sod them.

[dalliance]

North Korea v Brazil

This is mildly amusing.

N Korea 2 Brazil 0

[David Agnew]

North Korea v Brazil

It really isn't.

[jason voorhees]

North Korea v Brazil

North Korea winning 0-0 at the half in their revenge match against Brazil in the U-20 Womens World Cup.

[Mumpo]

North Korea v Brazil

Fantastic. And what a brilliant idea from FIFA, scheduling another international tournament so that it begins right after the proper World Cup finishes. Perfect antidote for withdrawl symptoms.

[Furtho]

North Korea v Brazil

North Korea won 1-0 in the end. Apparently they were runners-up last time, so this is perhaps less of a shock than it might otherwise appear. Referee Alexandra Ihringova of England was pretty clearly the Woman of the Match, though.